United Nations Daily Highlights, 03-07-25

United Nations Daily Highlights Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

From: The United Nations Home Page at <http://www.un.org> - email: unnews@un.org

OF THE NOON BRIEFING

BY FRED ECKHARD

SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL OF THE UNITED NATIONS

UN HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK

Friday, July 25, 2003

UN ENVOY TO SECURITY COUNCIL: LIBERIA IS BETWEEN HOPE AND DISASTER

On Thursday afternoon, the Secretary-Generals Special Representative for Liberia, Jacques Klein, briefed the Security Council on the situation in that country, and afterward told reporters that Liberia was between hope and disaster -- hope if the international community could act quickly, and disaster if nothing is done.

The good news, he said, is Nigeria's willingness to send in two battalions quickly to stabilize the situation, including one from the UN Mission in Sierra Leone, of about 770 troops, which the Mission will try to transport using its own facilities, including transport helicopters. Another Nigerian battalion is expected to arrive from Lagos, which Nigeria will need help to transport.

After the consultations ended, Council President Inocencio Arias of Spain told reporters that Council members expressed concern about the deteriorating security situation and humanitarian conditions in Liberia and called on all sides to honor the cease-fire.

Fighting in Monrovia continued this morning, with mortar rounds landing near a UN compound. The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says that Monrovias one million residents face dangerous shortages of water, sanitation facilities, food and security, and warns that, if fighting continues over the weekend, thousands of people could die. We have a press release with more details.

The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) says that the situation in the Liberian capital is grave, with every available space in UNHCRs Monrovia compound jammed with more than 800 desperate refugees and displaced people. UNHCR staff said 10 people were killed by mortar fire today, and gunfire hit its Monrovia compound.

High Commissioner Ruud Lubbers again urged the immediate deployment of an international force to Liberia, and is recommending that Governments suspend the forced return of rejected Liberian asylum seekers for at least six months.

Asked for a reaction to reports that US President George W. Bush had ordered some US troops to Liberia, the Spokesman said the UN was in the process of checking these reports but that, if confirmed, it would be a welcome development.

ANNAN LAUNCHES COMMISSION ON PRIVATE SECTOR AND DEVELOPMENT

Secretary-General Kofi Annan today launched the Commission on the Private Sector and Development, an initiative of the UN Development Programme (UNDP).

The Secretary-General introduced the co-chairs of the Commission, Paul Martin, Canadas former Finance Minister, and former Mexican President Ernesto Zedillo. He said that "the birth of this Commission is yet another illustration of the rapidly growing partnership between the United Nations and the private sector."

IVOIRIAN PRIME MINISTER BRIEFS SECURITY COUNCIL ON PEACE PROCESS

The Security Council today is holding an open debate on Cote dIvoire, with that countrys Prime Minister, Seydou Diarra, briefing Council members on recent peace efforts in that country. The Council adopted a Presidential Statement on Cote dIvoire at the end of todays open meeting.

Also, the Security Council adopted a Presidential Statement today emphasizing the importance of the recommendations made by the Councils recent missions to West Africa and Central Africa and requesting that the Secretary-General report on follow-up to those recommendations in a report, by this November 30.

This afternoon, the Council will meet with troops contributors to the peacekeeping missions in Lebanon and Georgia.

ANNAN WELCOMES RETURN OF CONSTITUTIONAL ORDER IN SAO TOME

In a statement released through his Spokesman, the Secretary-General, welcomed the return of constitutional order in Sao Tome and Principe and congratulated the regional and international mediators for their efforts during negotiations.

He called on the President of the Republic, the local political parties and society as a whole in Sao Tome and Principe to work in peace and in a consensual atmosphere to implement the peace accord.

ANNAN ENCOURAGED BY RECENT RUSSIA-GEORGIA DIALOGUE

The Secretary-General's latest report on the United Nations Observer Mission in Georgia notes that the UN-led peace process received a welcome boost following the Geneva brainstorming session and the Sochi summit. However, the Secretary-General says, it is regrettable that the core political issue the future status of Abkhazia within the State of Georgia still has not been addressed.

He appeals to both sides, in particular the Abkhaz side, to muster the political will to address the political aspects of the conflicts.

The Secretary-General is encouraged by the recent initiative by Georgia and the Russian Federation to start a dialogue on the process of refugee returns and recommends that a civilian police component of 20 officers be added to the UN Mission in Georgia to assist with the return of refugees.

FORMER FINNISH PRIME MINISTER TO HEAD UN KOSOVO MISSION

The Secretary-General has decided to appoint former Finnish Prime Minister Harri Holkeri as his Special Representative and head of the UN Mission in Kosovo, replacing Michael Steiner of Germany, who has returned to Government service.

Holkeri served as Finlands Prime Minister from 1987 t0 1991, and he also served as President of the 55th session of the General Assembly the Millennium Assembly.

ANNAN SAYS KOREAN NUCLEAR ISSUES MUST BE RESOLVED

In a message on the occasion of the 50th Anniversary of the Korean War Armistice Agreement, the Secretary-General notes that the Korean conflict remains unresolved. Fear and mistrust are widespread, he says. The current controversy over the nuclear weapons program of the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea is a sobering reminder of the risks that this unfinished business poses to the region, to the world at large, and above all to the people of both Koreas.

He underscores that resolving the nuclear and related security issues has got to be the most pressing priority. He urges all the parties to work determinedly towards a peaceful, negotiated solution, including through an early resumption of the Beijing talks.

The Secretary-General calls for a comprehensive settlement, which will cover a wide range of security, military, political, human rights and economic issues, culminating in a peace treaty.

UN MISSION IN DR CONGO INVESTIGATES MUNITIONS-LADEN PLANE

The UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo said that, following reports of a cache of ammunition apprehended on a plane that landed in Beni, it has started the process of conducting a thorough investigation into the origins of the flight, the material and the intended destination.

The UN Mission strongly denounced this act, which constitutes a violation of resolution 1484, which bans all military assistance to armed groups in the DRC.

The plane, carrying many boxes of ammunitions and seven military and two civilian passengers, was reportedly traveling from Aru to Mongbwalu. It was diverted to Beni, due to bad weather conditions. The plane was handed over to the UN by the RCD-K/ML faction on July 20.

INDIA HOLDS FIRST PARLIAMENTARY HIV/AIDS CONFERENCE

India will have its first national parliamentary conference on HIV/AIDS this weekend, for which the Secretary-General will deliver a video message. According to the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), the conference will bring together over 1,000 political leaders from across the country, including ministers, parliamentarians, legislators, and mayors, providing "a unique opportunity to mobilize national leadership and commitment to move the national Indian response to HIV/AIDS.

"Never before, in any nation of the world, has there been such a large and committed gathering of leaders from every level of decision-making, dedicated to the common cause of fighting AIDS", said Dr. Peter Piot, Executive Director of UNAIDS.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

AGENCIES NOTE 1.4 MILLION ANGOLANS NEED FOOD AID: The World Food Program and the Food and Agriculture Organization today released a special report on their joint Crop and Food Supply Assessment Mission in Angola. Despite peace and a substantial increase in food production, the agencies warned, some 1.4 million Angolans are still in urgent need of food aid, due to the increased number of refugees and demobilized soldiers returning home.

UN GUATEMALA MISSION DEPLORES VIOLENCE: The UN Verification Mission in Guatemala (MINUGUA), today issued a statement calling on the Guatemalan authorities to re-establish order and guarantee the security of the population following acts of violence and vandalism that took place Thursday in the capital city. The Mission urgently calls upon the leaders of the ruling party to intervene with its supporters so that they desist from all acts of violence. It deplores the violence, and stresses the necessity of using peaceful means to resolve conflict.

UN HUMAN RIGHTS CHIEF REGRETS UZBEKISTAN EXECUTIONS: Acting High Commissioner for Human Rights Bertrand Ramcharan today issued a statement voicing his deep regret that Uzbekistan had executed six individuals whose stays of execution had been requested by the UN Human Rights Committee, which was reviewing their case. Ramcharan stressed that the executions render the Committees reviews futile and amount to a grave breach of Uzbekistans obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which it acceded in 1995.

TRIBUNAL PROSECUTOR TO MEET WITH ANNAN: Asked if the Secretary-General had made a decision on replacing Carla del Ponte, the prosecutor for the International Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia and the International Tribunal for Rwanda, the Spokesman said he had no announcement to make. He did, however, confirm that the Secretary-General would be meeting with Carla del Ponte on Monday in New York.

SIGNINGS: Barbados will sign the Tampere Convention on the Provision of Telecommunication Resources for Disaster Mitigation and Relief Operations today.

THE WEEK AHEAD AT THE UNITED NATIONS

Monday, July 28

The Security Council has scheduled consultations on the UN peacekeeping missions in Lebanon and Georgia.

At 12:30 p.m., Ambassador Inocencio Arias of Spain, Chairman of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to Resolution 1373 (2001), the "Counter-terrorism Committee", and Ambassador Heraldo Munoz of Chile, Chairman of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to Resolution 1267 (1999) - the "Taliban/Al-Qaeda Sanctions Committee" -- will discuss the progress of their respective committees.

Tuesday, July 29

The Secretary-General will host a meeting bringing regional organizations together with officials and bodies from the UN system, which will continue on Wednesday.

The Security Council has scheduled a public meeting on the work of the Committee dealing with sanctions imposed on individuals and entities linked to al-Qaeda.

The guest at the noon briefing will be Nils Kastberg, Director of UNICEF's Emergency Programs, who will discuss appeals for Southern Africa and Zimbabwe.

Wednesday, July 30

At 1:00 p.m., the Secretary-General will give his mid-year press conference in Room 226.

Ambassador Inocencio Arias of Spain intends to hold a reception to mark the end of the Spanish Presidency of the Security Council.

Thursday, July 31

The mandate of the UN peacekeeping mission in Western Sahara will expire today, unless the Security Council decides on an extension.

Friday, August 1

Syrian Ambassador Mikhail Wehbe will take over the Security Council Presidency for the month of August, replacing Spanish Ambassador Inocencio Arias.

style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-weight: Office of the Spokesman for the Secretary-General

United Nations, S-378

New York, NY 10017

Tel. 212-963-7162 - press/media only

Fax. 212-963-7055

All other inquiries to be addressed to (212) 963-4475 or by e-mail to: inquiries@un.org

United Nations Daily Highlights Directory - Previous Article - Next Article